Improvement in the manufacture of coal-gas



W. H. GWYNNE.

} I Manufacture of Gas. I

No. 40,925. Patentd Dec. 15, 1863.,

werewmn-n, on WHITE PLAINS, NEWYORK.

I IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,925, dated December 15, 1863.

To all whom it may concern.- a

Be it known that I, W. H. GWYNNE, of White Plains, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,'ha-ve invented anew and useful Improvement in-the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas; and I'd o hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus which I use to carry out my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top View of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures. The object of this invention is to produce illuminating-gas withouta retort; and the in- V vention consists in exhausting the gas which rises-from burning a mass of coal in a cupola by means of a fan-blower, which is applied'in' such a manner that the gas, on leaving the cupola, is compelled to pass down through an annular space filled with coke, brick, or other incandescent niaterial, whereby it is freed from altar and impurities which may be mixed wit-hit when it rises from the cupola. Furthermore, by the action of the fan-blower,

'the necessary quantity of 'air is drawn in to keep up combustion, said'quantity being regulated by a register or valve in the'side of the cupola.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

A represents a cupola, made in the form of an upright cylinder, of cast iron, lined with flre-brick, or of any other suitable material.

The bottom of this cupola is providedwith a fire-grate, B, of any desirable construction, and it is set in a circular plate, 0, of castiron, or on a suitable base of brick-work.

D is a cylinder, which surrounds the cupola A, having an annular space, a, between its inner surface and the outer surface of said cupola, as clearly shown in the drawings. This space is filled with coke, fire-brick, or other incandescent material upto a level with the top edge of the cupola, the cylinder D beinghigher than the cupola, so as to have a space, b, for the gas to accumulate and to draw down the annular space a. A cover, E, is firmly luted to the top edge of the cylinder, and this cover is provided with a central opening, c, which is closed by the lid F, the joint between this lid and the cover E being made tight by means 'of liquid metal or in any other suitable manner. Through this lid the cupola is, charged with coal, afire having been first lighted on the grate B, and the necessary quantity of air to keep up combustion is admitted through a register, .6}, under the grate.- The gas rising from the burning mass of coal is exhausted by a fanblower, H, set on the side of the cylinder D,

space a,.above the bottom, plate, 0, andthe.

gas is compelled to pass down through the incandescent material in said annular space before it reaches the discharge-pipe d. By the suction of the fan-blower a certain draft is created, which causes the atmospheric air to rush in through the register with such velocity as may be required to keep up'combustion in the cupola, the quantity of air which is admitted to the fire being regulated by the register. If desired, steam may be introduced under the grate Bnthroug-h a pipe, I, to facilitate the formation of hydrocarbongas, The discharge of the coal fromthe cupolaougl'i't to be so arranged that no atmospheric air is-allowed to rush in when [the fire. grate is tilted.

By this apparatus the use of a retort is avoided. The coal he'ats'and decomposes itself in the cupola A, which, being sur-- rounded by brick or other incandescent material, does not lose any'of its heat by 'radiw.

tion. This cupola is not liable to crack, or when it cracks the gas escaping is not lost, being retained in the annular space a and exhausted with the balance by'fmeans of the exhaus ter. The charging and discharging of the cupolais comparatively easy. Thecharg ing can be done almost entirely by machinery, and the labor is thus considerably reduced.

. The whole apparatus is simple nnd cheap in its construction and economical in its operation.

' What I claim as new, and desire to secure ing illuminating-gas by ekhimstiug the proby Letters Batent is ducts qt eothbustio xfrom a cupola, or its 1. The empluyment or "u-sep'f the feupgflai A, equivalent',thrbugh ai'quantitybfincandescent surrounded by the annular spa'ce a', in eombimaterial, substantially as specified.

i nation with the exhauster H, applied and 0p- W. H. (R-WYNINE.

erating substantially in. the manner and for Witnesses:

the purpose herein shown and described. 1 I v W'WLHAUF F, 1 t 2. The within-described proce'ssof 'produc- '1 M. LIVINGSTON.

"Uni 

